Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-21
BIG DAKOTA.
An Old Wheeling Citizen Back From the
Region of Low Thermometer.
THE LARGEST FARMS OH EARTH.
Something of Interest About Agriculture and
Stock Raising.
THE QUESTION OF DIVISION

Mr. john McEelyey, seventeen years
ago a citizen Of Wheeling, but who nov
writes "DaErta" opposite his name On the
hotel register, arrived in the cuty S2tnr-
dav morning from st. Paul, and is at ih"
Stamm House. Mr.. McKelyey will -
main in the city and vicinity a week or
twu, visiting relatives and friends. He IL
well acquainted throughout Minnesota,
Montana and d kota, being one OF the
pioneers of the Red River Valley, and IL
closely identified with tho early growth
and history of Grand Forks, now city OF
:. 600 inhabitants, with water works, gas
electric lights, etc.
A representative of the REGISTER called
on MrMcKclyey Saturday evening to OBJ
tain some information based upon his eX-
perience and information, and began the
conversation by asking:
What 10 you think of Dakota
II like it, was the reply. 1T has
pond. hralthful climate, dry, bracing at
moSphcre and wonderful fertile soil, that
produces the only No. hard wheat, and
the finest pOtatOeS you ever saw. 1t told
Won how large | have seen vegetables OF
different kinds YOU wouldn't believe me.
Not long ago the ST. Paul Globe sent direct
10 farmers and stOckmen to obtain their
view. and experience in writing, and their
letters are published in the Giobc'S Dakota
edition on Saturdays. Some OF these let
ters are published in pamphlet form ami
will ke sent free to anybody. They con-
tain valuable information and are
reliable | am personally &C
uuaintrd with some of the writers,
and know the statements they contain TO
be true.
"How are the farmers of Dakota COM
my ou:'
"Splendidly. The crops this year were
the largest ever known. Some wheat
farms. in cultivation eight years, yielded
~ high ~ thirty aud thrty-tiye bushels to
the acre. The owners OF the land were
themselves surprised ut the yield. The
elevator capacity of the railroads is taxed
TO the utmost, hut IA insufficient to accom-
MEDIATE the grain seeking market. At one
Observation-Disclosures Laramore, whea'
has been piled up on the open ground,
awaiting shipment. OF course, the own
ers ran a big risk from the exposure, hut
they got along all right without loss"
This is the Red River valley, you are
speaking off,
YES, sir; and finer agricultural coun
| try does not exist The valley extends
north and south from the torty-siNth par
allsl to the boundary line, distance OF
about Que hundred and twenty-five miles,
and has au average width OF about forty
miles. II is strictly a wheat-producing
country. The land lies level or slightly
rolling. When the country was first
settled ND the farmers had = strong prefer
ence for the highest land, imagining that
il was the best for " heat growing, and thai
the other was If little value, but the land
at first It iscted is now esteemed the best Of
the whole by such great wheat-growers Il
Oliver Dalrymple.'
as Dalrymple as extensive n wheat
grower as the newspaper correspondents
represent
Yes, indeed. And it is all from a small
beginning. He is now one OF the wealth.
est men in the entire Northwest. He made
his BEGINNING in the summer of 1877. AT
that time the hSN IlNcl NdlACg was sup
posed to he unfit for anything but grass,
this being based upon the reports OF such
men AS Hazen. The Northern Pacific rail
road struggled to induce settlers to 60
there, but their efforts were not very sue
cessful. The President of the road had
great faith in the country, however, and
went East TO hold a consultation with the
Directors over the matter. The bonds OF
the Company were at that time only
worth about ten cents on the dol
lar, and a plan was gotten up
by which these bonds could be exchanged
for the lands Of the company, at their esti-
mated value of six to eight dollars pei
acre. This enabled purchasers to get the
land ct about sixty to eighty cents per
acre, and a good deal of it was exchanged
on that basis. Among the large bond
holders taking land in this manner were
Generals Cass andC CLANCY and they put Dali
rymple on piece Of about 20, 600 acres about
twelve miles beyond Fargo, at place now
called Castleton. Dalrymple at once put
about two hundred teams to work break
ing up the prairie, and after allowing it to
lie through the season and rot, it was
cultivated and sowed with wheat. The
next year five thousand acres more were
broken, and 80 on until the whole twenty
Thousand acres were one gigantic wheat